Emusanda Community A

Project Status

Western Kenya WaSH Program

The Water Project’s WaSH Program in Western Kenya’s Kakemega and Vihiga Counties includes partnerships with self-organized leadership groups within schools, churches and communities.

Approximately 80% of people in these counties lack access to safe and reliable water.

Due to high occurrence of non-functioning hand pumps in this county, The Water Project’s program is focused on well rehabilitation. When water points cannot be rehabilitated, or no other viable source exists, new wells with hand-pumps are installed. Additional work targets self-help groups to implement protected springs and household sanitation solutions. The Water Project also works with nearby schools to implement rainwater catchment systems, hand-washing stations and latrines. This approach means kids have access to safe water while at home – and also while at school.

Agreements are signed with communities which outline necessary contributions and current/future responsibilities associated with each water point.

Hygiene and Sanitation Training targets overall health, teaching the community about the importance of hand-washing and latrine use.

Ongoing mobile monitoring breaks the cycle of broken water systems and helps gauge the impact of every project. Thanks to our monthly donors, we are able to monitor and repair water projects to ensure water continues to flow.

Functionality Data

Install Date: 01/30/2018

Current Status: Functional - New Project

Project Features

Protected Spring

In many communities, natural springs exist as water flows from cracks in rocky ground or the side of a hill. Springs provide reliable water but that doesn’t mean safe. When left open they become contaminated by surface contamination, animal and human waste and rain runoff. The solution is to protect the source. First, you excavate around the exact source area of the spring. Then, you build a protective reservoir for water flow, which leads to a concrete spring box and collection area. Safe water typically flows year-round and there is very limited ongoing maintenance needed!

Rehabilitation Project

Rehabilitation is not just fixing a pump - it’s total community re-engagement.

There’s only one thing we can think of that might be worse than not having safe water: having safe water, and then losing if because a project fell into disrepair.

It’s estimated 50% of projects in Sub-Saharan Africa are no longer functional. A majority of these projects are dug wells and boreholes with hand pumps. Though a hand pump is low-tech, cost-effective and a great solution for providing safe water - it’s also among the most susceptible to failure.

When working in a region, The Water Project seeks to provide adequate water coverage for communities across the region. Inevitably, we find dug well and boreholes projects installed, and then abandoned by other organizations and government contracts. We believe there is great value in building on what already exists - what is already present in a community - even if what’s exists is not working. After all, this broken well represents a significant investment from the past and repairing it shows a community our investment in them.

Rehabilitation often proves to be a big challenge, as many wells have sit idle for years and there is typically little information about the specifics of the well. A borehole and dug well rehabilitation involves quite a bit of discovery. First, our teams work to discover as much as they can about the initial project. What materials were used? Was the borehole/hand-dug well properly constructed? What is the static water level and well yield? Are there any known sources of contamination? Many of these questions can only be answered by diving in, and doing “the work” which makes up a rehabilitation.

Once our teams have found the problem, they find the solution. Then, they reconstruct a concrete apron around the well, and install a hand pump.

Program engagement and training with communities takes into account rehabilitation was needed and alters the program to suit the needs of the community. After all - engaging with this community in the same way which led to the initial, failed project will not bring new results. Our teams work to understand the social and support reasons leading to initial failure, and make those areas a focus of our ongoing engagement with communities.

Community Engagement

Community engagement is at every step of a water project.

Our engagement is rooted in relationship and includes involving the community in implementation and ongoing support, setting expectations for water point management and ongoing costs, etc. All of this happens before a water project is installed.

We use a term called ABCD: “Asset Based Community Development”. This means the community gets a leading seat at the table. Before we seek to bring anything into the community, we first seek to understand and utilize the assets that already exist within the community.

Sanitation Platform (SanPlat)

A SanPlat is most literally the slab one would squat over when utilizing the bathroom.

The community chooses 5 households to receive SanPlats made on site under our training and guidance. The goal: seeing the need for safe latrines throughout their community, each household will be inspired to build their own.

Hygiene and Sanitation Training

Community education and self-discovery about hygiene and sanitation concepts lead to improved health.

Improved health is always the goal. This is why all our projects include hygiene and sanitation training. We utilize many different methods for this training, depending on the community/institution, program and country. Training topics include disease transmission, personal hygiene and cleanliness, proper disposal of waste and proper water storage methods.

Monitoring and Resolution

Water isn’t a pump. Water is a service. And, it must be reliable.

The known benefits of water are ONLY true if water can be counted on, over time. We love celebrating when a project is complete and a community has access to clean, safe water. However, the ongoing service of water - making water reliable - is how we know our true impact.

The Water Project continues to monitor our water projects, and we provide continued support to make sure water service continues for communities.

Past water projects and the communities they serve are just as important to us as anything else we might be doing in the future.

Project Timeline FAQ

Project Status

Funded: Money has been raised for this project and we are preparing to release those funds to the driller/implementer

Under Construction: Money had been released to our partner to begin construction

Completed: All project work is complete and final reports have been submitted

On Hold: Issues of concern are being investigated (more below)

Canceled/Re-Allocated: The project your gift was originally allocated to has been withdrawn and we have re-allocated your gift to another project. Click the link to be redirected to your new project. (read more below)

Why isn't my project under construction yet?

Our goal is to get funds into the hands of our implementing partners as quickly and as efficiently as possible. To ensure that work in the field is not interrupted, waiting for additional funds to be raised, we keep our partners on about a 3-6 month back-log of work. That ensures the workers are always drilling or repairing wells.

Of course the side-effect of that is a perceived "lag" between donation and construction. Rest assured everyone is working as fast as is responsible.

Is the expected completion date a sure thing?

NO. Well construction in the developing world is very hard work. A lot of things can and do go wrong and delays are normal. We attempt to make a best judgment estimate of when a particular project will be complete, but the circumstances surrounding actual "in the field" conditions are far from our control.

Weather, supply availability, government paperwork, and community involvement are just a few of the variables that can delay (and sometimes even speed up) a project's completion.

What does "On Hold" mean?

Our goal is to ensure your donations are well spent. That means always erring on the side of caution when it comes to your gifts.

From time to time, concerns may arise about a particular project that require further investigation before we can fund it (actually wire money overseas) or it can be completed. We will place a project "On Hold" while we determine if it is possible to proceed and be assured of the quality of the work, and that the transparency and accountability of our partners remains up to our standard. Many times, the issues can be resolved, but on occasion project funds will need to be re-allocated to another project or partner. Sometimes initial efforts fail and we will put a project on hold to assess the situation as well. We will tell you when that happens.

What does "Canceled/Re-allocated" mean?

From time to time our water projects may not go as planned. Delays can occur due to equipment failures, geology, weather, and in some cases because we are simply not satisfied that work is being performed to our high standards. When this happens, we may need to re-allocate your donation/project. While we attempt to keep the new project in the same country, this is not always possible.

We mark a project canceled so that you are aware that your funds have been re-allocated to a new site or project. The new project link will be listed accordingly.

Click icons to learn about each feature.

Community Profile

This project is a part of our shared program with Western Water and Sanitation Forum (WEWASAFO). Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).

Welcome to the Community

Emusanda Village is inhabited by the Wanga people of the Luhya Tribe.

A typical day begins with the adults going off to work. Farming is the main occupation here, with sugarcane planted as the main cash crop. Most people earn income from selling their sugarcane to a sugar factory 15 kilometers away from the village. Maize, groundnuts and beans are also grown as food for the family. In addition, some villagers have ventured into making their own bricks to sell for construction projects in the area.

Water Situation

Walusia Spring serves a community of 1260 people. (Editor’s Note: While this many people may have access on any given day, realistically a single water source can only support a population of 350-500 people. To learn more, click here.) Walusia is an unprotected spring, meaning it is contaminated by surface runoff, open defecation and erosion. The water could be treated by boiling or with chemicals, but these are expensive and time-consuming for these farming families living in Emusanda. Many community members cannot afford either of these water treatment methods, and must drink the contaminated water raw.

Because the spring serves so many people, there is often quite a line to collect water! To avoid congestion and wasting a lot of time, many opt to get water at odd hours – around 4am or 8pm (while it is dark) which is risky, especially for women.

The people of the village have placed a small iron sheet directly where the water flows, making it easier for them to draw water. Instead of dunking containers into the muddy pool, people just need to hold their container under the sheet.

Most people in Emusanda have suffered from waterborne diseases such as typhoid, diarrhea and amoebiasis. “We have a problem with water,” reports Angelia Shisia, a village elder. “I have spent most of my time and money in the hospital to treat my grandchildren who have been having diarrhea.”

Sanitation Situation

A surprising number of households here have pit latrines – around 75%. The floor and walls are constructed of mud and the roof is an iron sheet. They are often rickety structures that offer little privacy, but fortunately they give families a proper place to dispose of waste. Unfortunately, 25% of a population over 1,000 means there are still a lot of community members practicing open defecation, meaning they relieve themselves in bushes or fields. This endangers the rest of the community, as feces can be spread by animals, insects, and rainwater.

Nobody has a hand-washing station, but most households have dish racks and clotheslines. Garbage is thrown into a pit or burned in an “out-of-the-way” place.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training

Community members enthusiastically look forward to participation in the two-day hygiene and sanitation training. This training will ensure participants are no longer ignorant about healthy practices and their importance in cleanliness and good health.

The facilitator plans to use PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation), CLTS (Community-Led Total Sanitation) and ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development), group discussions, handouts and demonstrations at the spring.

Training will also result in the formation of a committee that will oversee operations and maintenance at the spring. They will enforce proper behavior around the spring and delegate tasks that will help preserve the site, such as building a fence and digging proper drainage.

Plans: Sanitation Platforms

The community will select five of its families for the new latrine platforms. They will be located next to the spring and will be families who are needy or do not have good toilets. The families must prepare by digging a pit over which the sanitation platforms will be placed.

Plans: Spring Protection

“Thank you so much for coming to our community. Indeed, God has remembered us,” said Wellington Muyemba. “We just wish you can come and start protecting the spring for us tomorrow. This water has been the same since my childhood up to now. I have a family – almost getting grandchildren and no one has ever had a heart of helping us. We are glad that you have come and so as a community we promise to cooperate and give the necessary support to see the spring protected.”

The community in will provide local materials such as sand and bricks, and neighbors to the spring will provide accommodation and food for the work team. A number of people will participate directly by providing unskilled labor in fencing the spring, planting the grass around the spring, supervising construction work and monitoring the progress.

Construction will keep surface runoff and other contaminants out of the water.

Protecting the spring will ensure that the water discharged from its pipe is clean and secure with an increased flow rate. Less waiting – more time for work and education. Less sickness – more energy to develop skills and interests. Just consider the possibilities! The folks in Emusanda are now doing just that!

Project Updates

01/30/2018: Emusanda Community Project Complete

Walusia Spring in Emusanda Community, Kenya is now a protected, clean source of water thanks to your donation. The spring is protected from contamination, five sanitation platforms have been provided for the community, and training has been given in sanitation and hygiene. Imagine the changes that all of these resources are going to bring for these residents! You made it happen! Now, want to do a bit more? Join our team of monthly donors and help us maintain this spring protection and many other projects.

We just updated the project page with the latest pictures, so make sure to check them out! And please enjoy the rest of the report from our partner in Kenya:

Project Result: New Knowledge

The village elder, Mrs. Omumia, worked hard with our training officer to prepare for training. They agreed on specific days best for the community, and then the village elder went house to house inviting people to attend. She also wrote a notice and pinned it to a tree at the spring to remind the community members as they fetched water on a daily basis. Mrs. Omumia also agreed to host training at her homestead, since it’s got a lot of good ground and shade for people to sit comfortably.

There was a total of 19 participants, most of which were women. This is because women are traditionally seen as those most responsible for water, hygiene and sanitation for their families. These women all promised to not only share what they learned with their husbands (convincing them that yes, this information is applicable to them too) but share healthy practices with their neighbors who didn’t attend.

We covered several topics including leadership and governance; operation and maintenance of the spring; healthcare; family planning; immunizations; the spread of disease and prevention. We also covered water treatment methods, environmental hygiene, hygiene promotion, and many others. Since we were near the spring, we could run through hands-on management and maintenance demonstrations.

Walking to the spring from Mrs. Omumia’s homestead.

We spent an entire session on hand-washing and its importance. When, how, and why should one wash their hands? We also taught participants how to construct their own hand-washing stations with local and affordable materials.

As we visited the community throughout the construction process, we visited households to check their uptake of hygiene and sanitation practices. There was an increase in latrines, dish racks, and bathing shelters. Some households had dug deep garbage pits, and many women had begun practicing kitchen gardening which will yield good vegetables for their families’ meals.

Beatrice Machembe said, “I want to thank you so much for bringing us power through knowledge. What you have taught us is not something we could get easily unless we went for a seminar or payed some amount to go to a school to get this information. The general hygiene practices you have taught us will help us reduce costs, for when we follow the teaching we will be safe, and so we are very grateful.”

Project Result: Sanitation Platforms

All five sanitation platforms have been installed and are ready for use. These five families are happy about this milestone and are optimistic that there will be much less open defecation. People without proper latrines would often use the privacy of bushes, but now have a private place of their own. It is expected that proper use of latrine facilities provided by the sanitation platforms will go a long way in reducing environmental pollution here. We are continuing to encourage families to finish building walls and roofs over their new latrine floors.

Project Result: Spring Protection

Community members provided all locally available construction materials, e.g bricks, wheelbarrows of clean sand, wheelbarrows of ballast, fencing poles and hard core (crushed rock and gravel). Accommodation and food for the artisan were provided, and we asked a few people to volunteer their time and strength to help the artisan with manual labor.

The spring area was excavated to create space for setting the foundation of polyethylene, wire mesh and concrete. After the base had been set, both wing walls and the headwall were set in place using brickwork. The discharge pipe was fixed low in place through the head wall to direct the water from the reservoir to the drawing area.

As the wing walls and head wall were curing, the stairs were set and the tiles were fixed directly below the discharge pipe. This reduces the erosive force of the falling water and beautifies the spring. The process of plastering the head wall and wing walls on both sides reinforces the brickwork and prevents water from the reservoir from seeping through the walls and allows pressure to build in the collection box to push water up through the discharge pipe.

Lastly, the base of the spring was plastered and the collection box was cleaned. The source area was filled up with clean hardcore and covered with a polyethylene membrane to eliminate any potential sources of contamination.

Throughout this process, there was a young man who was particularly interested in the artisan’s work. This boy dropped out of school and currently has no work, and he realized this is something he could do with his life. The artisan was patient and worked alongside the boy to teach him some of the techniques used in brick and concrete work.

All this has transformed Walusia Spring into a flowing, clean water source. People arrived right away to fetch their first jerrycans of that clean water. There were smiles all around! 36-year-old Christine Andega said, “You have really done me and my family well. I have been spending most of the time in the hospital treating my children from typhoid which came as a result of dirty water, but now I am a happy mother for I will use this money to boost their nutrition and also do other development work.”

11/16/2017: Emusanda Community Project Underway

Emusanda Community will soon have a clean, safe source of water thanks to your donation. Community members have been drinking contaminated water from Walusia Spring, and often suffer physical illnesses after doing so. Our partner conducted a survey of the area and deemed it necessary to protect the spring, build new sanitation platforms (safe, easy-to-clean concrete floors for latrines), and conduct sanitation and hygiene training. Thanks to your generosity, waterborne disease will no longer be a challenge for the families drinking the spring’s water. We look forward to sharing more details with you as they come! But for now, please take some time to check out the report containing community information, pictures, and maps.

Project Photos

Project Type

In many communities, natural springs exist as water flows from cracks in rocky ground or the side of a hill. Springs provide reliable water but that doesn’t mean safe. When left open they become contaminated by surface contamination, animal and human waste and rain runoff. The solution is to protect the source. First, you excavate around the exact source area of the spring. Then, you build a protective reservoir for water flow, which leads to a concrete spring box and collection area. Safe water typically flows year-round and there is very limited ongoing maintenance needed!

Contributors

KALBARRI Anglican churchCommonwealth Club of the RivieraMonmouth University 9 individual donor(s)